Indian politics today is defined by two names- Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. Narendra Modi towers over the stage. Rahul Gandhi lingers on the margins. One dominates with authority, the other struggles to be seen as a viable alternative. Their contrasting strengths and weaknesses underline not only their personal journeys but also the stark imbalance in India’s democracy. That imbalance explains much about the health of India’s democracy. The India Today-CVoter Mood of the Nation poll captures this gap vividly. Conducted between July 1 and August 14, 2025, across more than 200,000 respondents, the survey shows 51.5% backing Narendra Modi as the preferred prime minister, compared to just 24.7% for Rahul Gandhi. While Rahul’s popularity has doubled since early 2024, Modi still retains more than double his support. The message is clear: Modi remains in command, Rahul remains in pursuit.Modi’s rise is extraordinary. From selling tea to commanding the world’s largest democracy, his story has become a political weapon. His mastery of oratory and slogans, combined with the BJP’s disciplined cadre and RSS network, make him unbeatable at the hustings. His politics is built on decisiveness—be it demonetisation, scrapping Article 370, welfare schemes, or military strikes. Abroad, Modi has turned foreign visits into spectacles, projecting himself as the global face of a rising India. For many Indians, he embodies confidence, strength, and ambition.Yet strength breeds excess. Modi has centralised power like no other leader in recent decades. The Cabinet is invisible, Parliament has been reduced to ritual, and institutions bend before the PMO. His politics is polarising, deepening majoritarian divides and eroding India’s plural ethos. The economy remains troubled, with unemployment and rural distress refusing to fade despite welfare programmes. Thus, while Modi speaks endlessly to crowds, he avoids unscripted press scrutiny, fuelling the charge that he evades accountability. Rahul Gandhi, by contrast, offers sincerity without power. Long dismissed as reluctant and ineffectual, Rahul surprised critics with his Bharat Jodo Yatra. By walking across the country and meeting ordinary citizens, he shed his aloof image and came across as approachable and empathetic. His message of democracy, inclusivity, and compassion appeals to those exhausted by Modi’s aggressive politics. In a cynical era, sincerity has become Rahul’s greatest strength. However, sincerity alone does not win elections. Rahul is a poor orator and lacks political killer instinct, vital in survival politics. His speeches betray lack of authenticity as he at times cannot join the dots. He is unable to handle the factionalism within his party in contrast to Modi’s total dominance that makes him formidable. Rahul’s poor stewardship has left Congress weakened, fractured, and hollowed out by defections. Post-Jodo Yatra has placed Rahul on track but the dynasty tag clings to him like a permanent stain, making him appear less a leader and more a legacy. India needs both inspiration and accountability. Modi has mastered the first but shies from the second. Rahul has found the second but struggles to master the first. Their future paths will decide not just their fates, but the health of India’s democracy itself.
Sunday, August 31, 2025